"  Inside every raindrop is a memory of us, one that shatters as the droplet hits a surface. " 

100905

Kids bustled about the large building. Teachers busily gathered paperwork and books for their classes. Old friends mingled and talked about how much they had missed each other over the summer. New students stood awkwardly at their lockers, drawing mental maps of the school so that they won't look like fools and get lost. A certain grey eyed girl shifted her new backpack actoss her shoulders as she stood in front of the school gates, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

This is it, my home away from home for the next four years. 

It was 15 year old Minji's first day of the supposed best four years of her life. It was the start of a new journey, one that all kids her age both feared and looked forward to. It was the start of high school. 

"Hey Minnie!" she heard a familiar voice called out from behind her, a hard clap on the back soon followed after.

"When are you going to drop that stupid nickname, Kim Jongin?" Minji said with an annoyed roll of the eyes.

"When you start calling me Kai instead," the tan teenage boy gave her his trademark wink that made every girl in school go crazy, that is, everyone but Minji.

"Fine," she snapped. "Kai," she exaggerated all three letters of his nickname, as if to show how much of a bother it was to call him that.

"There ya' go Minnie," he replied with a sastifactory smirk before he ran off into the school building, bumping into people and laughing all the way.

"Hey! Kim Jongin, you are so going to die before this day ends!" she retorted as she chased after him, not caring which way her first class really was.

She raced through the hallways, her eyes locked on the mob of dusty brown hair that flew up and down as the michevious body connected to it ran. She knocked folders out of one girl's hands. She recklessly barged into the middle of a group of boys who were playing an intense game of cards. She flew past the group of popular girls who most likely were gossiping about everyone in the school. She let out a giggle when she realized that they had probably started to talk about how crazy she was as soon as she ran by them. However, she didn't care because nothing mattered but winning, especially when it came to winning against Kai. He could bring out so much competitiveness in her, but she never knew the reason why.

"Minnie, it looks like you've gotten even slower over the summer!" he taunted.

His jeering only made her pick up the pace. She could feel her legs burning and her lungs starting to give in. She ignored all of the painful sensations she felt throughout her body and surged forward with even more energy. Sweat began to coat her skin, her breathing became heavier, harder to take in. Her eyes were still glued to the top of the tan boy's head. Nothing else in the world mattered but catching up to Kim Jongin, "Mr. Lightning", the track star of the grade.

"Kim Jongin!" she shouted through determined gritted teeth. 

"Yes, my dear Minnie?" he turned around and started to run backwards. His face had mockery written all over it.

"I," a leap forward.

"Will," another stride.

"Kill," a sharp turn to the left.

"You," a collision. 

Minji felt her body be thrown into the chest of another's. She hit the person with such force that as soon as she made contact with their solid abdomen, she bounced right off. Her head hurt from the impact, her body suddenly became washed with a gargantuan sense of fatigue. The force had sent her books and papers flying across the hallway. Rubbing her sore temples, she looked up to see that the person she had crashed into was physically unphased by their surprising encounter. In fact, he hadn't even moved from his spot. He just stood there, looking at the sudden intruder of his personal space with a puzzled and weird expression on his face.

Minji quickly bent down to gather her papers. To her surprise, another hand helped her pick up the mess. She finally brought herself to look at the victim of her carelessness. To say that he was handsome would have been an understatment. Dressed dashingly in the school's uniform, he handed her the half of her work that he picked up off the ground. The boy looked around her age and had striking blond hair, kind brown eyes, a tall nose, and full rosy lips. Minji could have stared at him all day. Everything about him just matched so well together. His facial features harmonized with the way he dressed, the way he stood. One of his hands was tucked into his pocket effortlessly, complimenting the way he raised one of his thick eyebrows in a questionable, or even flitatious manner.

"Are you ok? You look like you could use some kind of assistance," he said in a smooth and beautiful voice. He held out a hand to her, causing her to realize that she was still crouching on the cold floor of the school.

Snap out of it, right now.

Embarassed and flustered, she began to trip and stagger over her words.

"N-n-no! It's, I m-mean, I'm not ok. Wait, I meant, I'm f-fine," she managed to squeeze out as she stood up, ran a hand through her tangled hair, and smoothed her skirt. 

The boy returned his hand back into his pocket as he tried to hide his warm laugh, yet failed to do so, earning him a smack on the arm from the girl had just met.

"Ow!" he said, flinching. He tried to scowl and look genuinely mad but didn't succeed, the glint in his brown eyes gave him away.

Minji suddenly regained the confidence she always had and replied to his reaction with a curt, "That was for laughing at my misfortune," before she her heel and walked away. She had already lost Kai so she started to head in the direction of her first class.

"H-hey! I did try to help didn't I? Wait up!" the blonde boy said as he ran to keep up with her fast pace.

"I don't recall you helping me," she replied icily as she struggled to surpess her grin. 

"I asked if you needed any help, you said no."

"Hmmm," she mused, her eyes were folded into little crescents, a tell tale sign that she was about to break into laughter really soon.

"Come on," he nudged her. "You know I did, don't lie. That's not a very nice way to treat a handsome new student on his first day."

With that, her cold facade crumbled and she finally allowed the giggles she had been fighting to keep down out. Tears began to form in her eyes as she beagn to laugh harder.

The blonde haired boy faked an insulted look, held his palm over his chest, and gasped, "Was it something I said?"

When the grey eyed girl was finally able to breathe again, she answered his question with a smirk, "Handsome, my ."

"How dare you! I'll have you know that handsome is my middle name."

"Really now? You should probably have it changed to something that actually suits you."

"And what would that be?"

"I don't know, conceited maybe?"

"I don't think anyone has ever hurt my self esteem this much in my whole entire life."

"Well, there's a first for everything."

"Then congtulations, you've managed to do so within the first five minutes of meeting me."

"I am so honored." 

"You should be, now would you like an award Miss..." he stopped walking suddenly and looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

"Minji, Oh Minji," she said as she stopped and turned to face him with her right hand held out.

"Kim Joonmyun," he said as he took her hand and shook it. "But, everyone calls me Suho."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Kim Coneceited Joonmyun," Minji said teasingly before she briskly walked away with another laugh.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Wow, you know me so well already."

"You're just very easy to read. By the way, where are we going?"

"Easy to read, huh? Then shouldn't you know where we're going?"

"Ok, maybe you're not that easy."

"To class, obviously, the bell is about to ring. I have English in room C231 first, how about you? You're new right? I can show you where your class is."

Suho glanced at his schedule and looked back at her with an impish grin.

"Look's like we're in the same class," he hummed.

"Look's like I have a new least favorite class," Minji sang back with a smile, before running into the classroom to avoid Suho's wrath.

"Minji!" Jongin, waved at her as he gestured to an open seat next to him.

She quickly walked towards her childhood best friend and plopped her bag onto the empty desk.

"Hide me!" she squeaked as she sank down into her chair, grabbing Jongin's arm to block her face.

"Wha-"

"Oh Minji!" Suho shouted as he entered the room, scanning the seats for a certain auburn haired girl.

"Don't let him see me," she giggled as she squirmed in her chair.

"Too late," the tan boy replied as he looked up to see the new student walk over to where they were sitting, throwing his stuff onto the seat next to Minji.

"No! Jongin, save me!" the girl said, mock terror laced in between her words.

"Minji, I see you." Suho said as if he was annoyed.

Kai was the only one oblivious to anything that had just happened and blinked at the two people in front of him, "And you are?"

"I'm new here. The name's Kim Joonmyun but please, call me Suho."

"Hello Suho, I'm Kim Jongin but I perfer Kai."

"Call him Jongin," Minji piped up.

"That's it, I'm not saving you anymore," Kai said as he shook her off of his sleeve.

"B-but-"

"She abuses you too?" Suho asked, a michevious light danced in his eyes.

Kai quickly caught on, returning Suho's grin with his own, "Has been for the past 13 years."

"What? Kim Jongin, I have not!" Minji exclaimed.

"Wow, how do you deal with it man? I can barely survive ten minutes," Suho said, ignoring Minji's defense.

"Good question, I don't know but it seems we already have something in common," Kai teased.

"It seems so," Suho mused.

"Guys!" Minji said, flustered.

Kai and Suho looked at the frustrated girl and each other before letting out a series of laughs. Eventually, Minji joined in their laughter, only after she gave each of the boys a fair share of slaps across their arms. The trio's friendship had sprouted. Minji smiled to herself as class began. She found herself actually looking forward for the period to be over so that she could talk to the boys sitting next to her again.

Maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all...

140513

"The tests show that most of the DMT has left your blood stream, but you may still experience minor side affects such as headaches and vivid dreams. However, that will go away with time so it looks like you can get out of here by tonight," the doctor said with a warm and encouraging smile as she jotted down a few notes on her clipboard.

"Thank you," Minji said happily.

"You can finish filling out her paperwork at the front desk, the nurse will tell you what you need to do," the doctor said as she turned towards Minji's gaurdian.

"Of course, thank you so much," Sydney said with a bow. 

"Anytime, and Minji," the doctor's tone suddenly became strict as she faced her patient again.

"Yes?"

"Don't ever take harmful drugs and be careful about what you eat or drink. People are crazy nowadays."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Alright, I'll see you next time, take care," she said as she walked out of the room, her heels clicking all the way down the hall.

As soon as Minji heard that the clicking was far enough away, she turned to face Sydney with a scowl.

"Did she seriosously just tell me not do drugs? Who does she think I am?" she asked in a sassy tone.

Sydney laughed and went over to squeeze her friend's hand.

"Obviously not the Oh Minji that I know."

"Of course not! I'm offended." 

"Well, we still have no idea how you could have gotten that much DMT into your system. Do you really not remember?"

That was the problem. No matter how many times Minji tried to remember what could have possibly happened, she couldn't. There were pockets and holes torn into her memory. She racked her brain, pressed herself to remember how anything that dangerous could have gotten into her, but no matter how hard she tried, she failed. She felt so stupid, how could something so scary be so hard for her to recall? 

She remembered everything up to a week before she was admitted into the hospital. She slightly remembered having a horribly stressful time in school, crammed with work and exams. She remembered filling out some kind of paperwork for her mom and loosing something important. She clearly remembered getting home and meeting Suho for dinner. She also remembered she somehow ruined Baekhyun's car along the way.

After that, her memory began to get fuzzy and distorted.

She remembered Suho was acting strange, nervous, and suspicious. He kept checking his phone. They talked about something. She couldn't remember exactly what they were arguing about, but she knew that she ended up leaving in tears. She remembered falling asleep and staying in bed for a while afterwards. 

The time in between her date with Suho and waking up to see Sydney had broke into her house was a complete blank. She could not even draw the slightest idea of what happened in the three days that were ripped from her brain. The next thing she remembered was Sydney visiting and the whole entire day that followed.

"I don't understand why I can't remember," she said with a sigh.

"The doctor said it's normal for our minds to erase events that are terribly depressing or horrific. It's what we don't want to remember."

"I know, I heard. But, what in the world could have been so bad?"

"I really don't know, Ji." 

"I just wish-"

"-that my most precious friend in the whole wide world was here to comfort me in my time of need?" a familiar playful voice interrupted.

Minji whirled her head to the entrance of the hospital to see a tall and lean figure pressed up against the side of the door with his arms crossed in a cocky manner.

"I would rather die than dream of such a thing," she snapped as she lay back down on her bed.

The boy in the doorway stretched his mouth into a wide grin as he allowed himself into the room, making his way to Minji's bedside.

"Even when you're dying, you're still the same old Minnie aren't you?" 

"Kim Jongin, I'm not dying."

"Really? I knew that you love the oreo cake from the pastry shop down in Hongdae, so I stopped by and grabbed before coming here thinking that it would be nice for you to eat some before you die. But now that you're fine and healthy, maybe I'll just eat it myself," he teased with a sly smile.

Minji's eyes lit up at the sound of oreo cake. She immediately clutched and made fake gagging sounds as she squirmed around her bed.

"Kim Jongin, I think I'm dying now," she gasped. 

Sydney let out a small chuckle as Kai mockingly took the cake out of the bag and began to open the box.

"You're not fooling anyone Minnie."

He proceeded to take out two forks, waving one in front of the desperate auburn haired girl's face before eventually handing it to Sydney instead.

"I can't believe this," Minji exclaimed.

"Half for me," the tan boy said as he sliced the cake down the middle. Minji felt water as the aroma of the sweet delicacy reached her nostrils. 

"Please Jongin, I'm begging you. Besides, Sydney doesn't even like oreos."

"Oh she doesn't?" he asked, hovering the hand with the second half of the cake over Sydney's plate.

"To be completely honest, I don't," Sydney replied as she threw a wink in Minji's direction.

"Then I guess this piece can't be eaten by someone who won't enjoy it..." Kai trailed off sadly. 

Minji breathed out a sigh of relief and looked expectantly at the half of the cake that now belonged to her. She saw it slowly coming towards her as she squealed with delight. Minji stretched out her arms, her hands making grabbing motions as if they could pluck the cake of the air. Just before the cake was within her grasp, it was pulled back suddenly. She heard a chuckle follow afterwards.

"Oh my God!" she screamed frustratedly. 

Kai couldn't say anything in return, he was too busy laughing and clutching his stomach, Sydney soon joined him. The duo would laugh and finally when they calmed down, they would look at Minji's distraught face before breaking into hysterics once again.

"You guys are so mean to me," she pouted as she crossed her arms and let out a small huff of air. 

"I'm sorry Minnie, we're just having fun," Kai replied with a smile still on his face. 

Minji rolled her eyes and simply replied, "Cake."

"Oh, someone's getting mad," Sydney taunted.

"Oh no, she's starting to one word me," Kai said in fake horror.

"Now," Minji ordered sternly.

"Do you think she deserves it?" Kai asked as he turned to face Sydney.

"Well, she hasn't been too hard to handle since she got here," she replied.

"Ok fine," Kai said as he finally handed her the slice of cake she had been longing for. 

She let out a series of cheers and claps when she finally got a taste of her beloved treat. The cake melted in , leaving satisfactory sensations to fill her taste buds. She sighed happily at the familiar sweetness of her favorite dessert.

"So, what brings you here anyways? Shouldn't you be in France by now?" Minji asked, suddenly remembering Kai's summer plans.

Her tan friend gave her his signature cheeky smile. "I thought you'd never ask," he started with a stretch. "Well, since my dance program in France is split into different units, I got to leave after we finished the ballet course."

"Wait so you're not going back?" a worried tone crept into Minji's voice.

"It depends on if I feel like it or not," Kai said casually.

"Kim Jongin!" she scolded. Minji knew that he had tried all year to get into the elite dance program held in France's top dancing school, Le Centre de Danse du Paris. It was the only thing he had been looking forward to this summer.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I can't believe yo-" Minji was cut off by her phone's disruptive ringing.

Sydney snatched the phone off the table before Minji could reach it and looked at the caller ID.

"It's Suho," she said.

Again, Minji felt her body tense at his name. She all of a sudden could remember what they were arguing about, a light bulb flickered in her mind. Her body instinctively told her to not pick up, to stay away.

"Give it to me," she found herself saying.

Sydney obediently handed the phone over just after she swiped the accept button across the screen.

Holding her phone up to her ear, Minji answered with a shaky, "Hello?"

"Oh Minji," came a recogniazable but cold voice.

"Yes?"

"You're getting released today right?"

"How did you know?"

"I told the nurse there to update me with any new news of your situation."

"You don't need to involve yourself with me anymore."

"I've been thinking and I realized why you're doing this. If you think this is the best way of getting my attention then stop it, you're wrong."

"What do you mean? Are you telling me that I did this to myself on purpose?"

"Minji, that was an opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn't deny it and you know that. I know you well enough that you would try something as extreme as this to force me to stay home."

"I can't believe you would think that I did this on purpose!"

"I'm just calling to let you know that I'm coming to discharge you from the hospital and I'm taking you home so we can have a talk. Then, I'm heading straight to the airport, luckily the dean is allowing a late arrival."

"No! I'm not going anywhere with someone as selfish as you."

"Pack your stuff, I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Stop it, n-"

She heard a sharp click and the droning of the tone that indicated the call was over. She felt her face get red and hot, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Sydney and Kai both looked at her utterly confused. Neither of them knew what exactly had happened between her and Suho.

"Minji, I've avoided asking you this but I think now is the right time," Sydney started.

"Wait, what?" Kai still had no idea what was going on.

Sydney ignored him and continued, "Tell me what exactly is keeping you and Suho apart?"

Minji felt close and more tears welling up. She let out a shaky sigh and decided she couldn't hide from her friends forever.

"Suho got the internship," she stated blankly.

Kai's eyes widened as his jaw dropped onto the floor. 

"No way, really? That's great," he said.

"He's been wanting that internship since he was a kid," Sydney recalled.

Kim Joonmyun, politics, government, and law were four things that seemed to be made for each other. Minji knew that Suho was obsessed with politcal science, different forms of government, the liberal arts, and everything else that made Minji's eyes glass over and bored her to death.

People used to tease them all the time, a girl in love with science and math, and a boy head over heels for the humanities fell for each other. They said that the couple's situation was dangerously contrasting. Minji and Suho liked to think that opposites attract.

Recently, Suho had been spending more and more time in his study, burried in piles of papers and books. He poured over the pages of his textbooks, relearning old laws and forms of democracy, reading Marxist ideas and contrasting them with those of the socialists. He needed to ace his exams to prove that he was worthy of an internship in one of the top government buildings of Korea, his eye was on the Blue House. Minji joked around with him saying that he needed to lighten up on the studying. She said he would do fine on his exams and that at the rate he was studying, he would do well enough to make it to the White House or something. 

Minji wished she could have eaten her words back up.

Suho had ignored her constant pleas to hang out and take a break from the books. It was only until he heard the White House did his ears perk up, a flame ignited in his heart. His eyes and mindset became focused on the heart of the leading country of democracy. Once Suho wanted something, he was determined to get it. 

Sure enough, he did. 

"Yeah he has," Minji said dejectedly.

"Why are you so upset then? Isn't that good for him? You know he would say yes to live in the Blue House in a heartbeat. Plus, the Blue House is in Seoul so it's still close to both your houses," Kai pointed out.

"That's the problem," Minji said, still being cryptic and unwilling to just pour it all out.

Syndey rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "Then what is? God, just tell us already!"

"He's not going to the Blue House," the grey eyed girl finally said. 

"What?" Kai asked.

Realization hit Sydney harder than a train racing down a railroad could have. "Oh my God," she said as she fell backwards into her chair.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Kai demanded.

"He said he had just flown back from the US," Sydney said as she desperately tried to fit the puzzle peices together.

Kai's facial expression rippled, going from confusion to recognition. 

"It can't be," he barely whispered.

"He's leaving me for a stupid internship in Washington DC," Minji said as the tears finally came running down her dry cheeks. Her eyesight blurred as she spit out the words she had wanted to deny ever since he had told her that he already accepted the offer, without even asking or consulting her once.

"Did he tell you before he gave them an answer?" Sydney asked.

"No," Minji said bitterly.

"That selfish little-" Sydney's fists clenched by her sides. She stopped herself before she could mutter the nasty ending of her sentence.

"What did he say when he called?" she asked instead.

"He's coming to bring me home so that we can have a short talk before he leaves for the airport."

"No," the girl with chestnut brown hair stood up. She grabbed Minji's stuff and began to put it into a small backpack. She pulled out her phone, dialed a number and held it up to her ear. "He needs to learn what it's like to be played with," she said as a devious glint crept into her eyes. 

"What are you planning?" Minji and Kai said at the same time, knowing the look on Sydney's face all too well.

She ignored them when an all too familiar voice answered her call.

"Hey it's Sydney, are you busy? No? Perfect, I have to ask you for a small favor..."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: ITS BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE I'VE UPDATED OMG. You guys probably hate my excuses but it's because this was a hard chapter to write, I got writer's block a few times. Also, I had to get through my last few weeks at school (aka the time that teachers give you 523429 tests and projects as they wrap up the final chapters in the book). I have two and a half days of school left yayayayayayay! Sorry, if this chapter is kind of boring, but I promise the next one will be kind of cute and full of BaekJi action (oops I'm not supposed to tell you that). Anyways, enjoy and don't forget to subscribe, upvote and please leave thoughts/feedback because when people don't leave their opnions I feel like I'm doing something wrong or writing to a wall.